Vital Records

 

Old Style Italian Handwriting

Reading old Italian records requires a familiarity with Italian handwriting and a knowledge of general Italian genealogical terms. Difficulty in reading  a record may not result from a record keeper’s poor penmanship, but rather the use of a different style of handwriting. European handwriting differs greatly from American handwriting, and ancient writing differs even more. For the most part church records in Italy were written  in Latin. Since handwriting varies from person to person and town to town, the handwriting in your record may vary from the chart below. This section introduces common letters and handwriting used in Italian records.The modern Italian alphabet has no J, K, W, or Y.  Earlier Italian did use the J and I interchangeably in some dialects. Occasionally vowels will be accented which will change the pronunciation and/or meaning of a word, but not the way in which that word files alphabetically.

The handwriting style pre 1900s in Italy is quite different from the style today. Many surnames and given names are unique to certain areas and will be repeated frequently in the records. If a name is illegible in one record, it may be easier to decipher in another. Indexes may be written more neatly than the record itself and many times a name that is confusing can be read easier in the index. When a letter cannot be identified in a document, look for the same letter or word in another part of the document. It may be more clear, or the context may make it easier to decipher. Interpreting handwriting will improve with practice. The more research you do, the easier it will be to understand the handwriting. Below are some examples of handwriting found in Italian church and civil records from the 1500s to the 1900s

Letters, Italian Words and Phrases, Latin Words and Phrases, Italian Names: Male, Female Latin Names: Male, Female

Choose the letter you wish to locate:

A , B , C , D , E , F , G , H , I , J , K , L , M , N , O , P , Q , R , S , T , U , V , W , X , Y , Z

  Uppercase Lowercase
A Uppercase - A Lowercase - A
B Uppercase - B Lowercase - B
C Uppercase - C Lowercase - C
D Uppercase - D Lowercase - D
E Uppercase - E Lowercase - E
F Uppercase - F Lowercase - F
G Uppercase - G Lowercase - G
H Uppercase - H Lowercase - H
I Uppercase - I Lowercase - I
J Uppercase - J Lowercase - J
L Uppercase - L Lowercase - L
M Uppercase - M Lowercase - M
N Uppercase - N Lowercase - N
O Uppercase - O Lowercase - O
P Uppercase - P Lowercase - P
Q Uppercase - Q Lowercase - Q
R Uppercase - R Lowercase - R
S Uppercase - S Lowercase - S
T Uppercase - T Lowercase - T
U Uppercase - U Lowercase - U
V Uppercase - V Lowercase - V
X Uppercase - X Lowercase - X
Z Uppercase - Z Lowercase - Z

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Words and Phrases: Italian

English Italian Examples
age di anni, di età, dell'età di
appeared (before the officials) è comparso / a, sono comparsi
baby bambino / a
birth nascita
born in / born nato / a a , è nato / a
daughter of figlia di
death morte
deceased fù
died è morto / a
ditto / the same detto, ivi, do.
female femmina
husband marito
in the present month del corrente mese
living vivente
living in domiciliato / a in, residente in, dimorante in
male maschio
marriage matrimonio
married couple cojugi / coniugi
midwife levatrice, ostetrice (now ostetrica)
month / month of del mese di
mother unknown madre ignota
on the day del di, nel giorno, nel giorni di, a di
of the deceased del fù, delli furono (plural)
of the masculine sex di sesso maschile
parents genitori
paternal grandfather avo paterno
presented ha presentato
son of figlio di
spouse coniugo / a, conjugo / a
surviving or survivor superstite
the year l'anno
to give the name of di dare il nome di
unmarried man or women celibe, non maritato / a, nubile
widow vedova, ved.a
widower vedovo
wife moglie
year l'anno
yesterday ieri

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Words and Phrases: Latin

English Latin Examples
about (in reference to age) circiter, in circa
age / years anni, ann., an.
and et
betrothal sponsalia
born natum, nata, natus, nacque
citizen of this place hic civitatis
daughter filia
deceased quondam, q.dm., q.a., q.m., qnd., quon.
godfather was patrinus fuit, p.
godmother was matrina fuit, Ma. fuit
godparents pp., PP.
hour hora
husband vir., maritus, conjugo
I baptized an infant baptizavi infantem baptizai infantem
I conferred the name impositui nomen, impositum est nomen
legitimate daughter filia legitima, filia leg.ma
legitimate son filius legitimo, filio leg.mo
living viventis, viv.tis, viv.
marriage matrimonium
married couple coniugi, conjugi
month, of the month mens., mensis
name given nomen datum
no. impediments found nullo detecto impedimento
of ex
of the deceased defunctorum, defuntae, di quondam
on the day die
priest sacerdotis
son filio
today hodie
unmarried innubus, innuba, innubi
was baptized baptizatus / a fuit
was buried sepultus / a est
widow vidua, vid.a
widower viduus, vid.
wife uxor, conjuga
Year of our Lord Anno Domini, Anno D'ni.
yesterday heri

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Italian Names: Male

Italian Italian Abbrev. English Examples
Angelo Ang.o Angel
Antonio Ant.o Anthony
Carlo Car.o Charles
Carmelo Carm.o Carl
Domenico Dom.co Dominick, Dominique
Francesco Fran.co Frank
Giovanni Gio., Giov. John
Giovanni Battista Gio. Batt.a John Baptist
Giuseppe Gius.e Joseph
Luigi L.gi Louis, Aloysius
Matteo Mat.o Matthew
Michele Mich.e Michael
Nicola, Nicolò Nic.a, Nic.ò Nicholas
Paolo P.lo Paul
Pasquale Pasq.le Pascal, Patrick
Pietro P.tro Peter
Salvatore Salv.r Sam, Savior
Vincenzo Vin.zo Vincent

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Italian Names: Female

Italian Italian Abbrev. English Examples
Angela Ang.a Angel / a
Anna An.a Anna, Ann
Antonia Ant.a Antonia
Caterina Cat.na Catherine
Domenica Dom.ca Domenique
Filomena Fil.a Philomene
Francesca Fran.ca Frances
Giovanna Gio.a Joanne
Giuseppa, Giuseppina Gius.pa Josephine
Luigia Lu.gia Louise
Maria M.a, Ma. Mary
Rosa Rosa Rose
Rosalia Ros.a Roseline
Vincenza Vin.za Vincenza

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Latin Names: Male

Latin Latin Abbrev. English / Italian Examples
Aloysius Aloy.s Aloysius, Louis / Luigi
Angelus Ang.s Angel / Angelo
Antonius Ant.s Anthony / Antonio
Carolus Car.us Charles / Carlo
Carmelus Carm.us Carl / Carmelo
Dominicus Dom.cus Dominnick / Domenico
Franciscus Fran.cus Francis, Frank / Francesco
Joannes Jo.es John / Giovanni
Joannes Baptista Jo.es Bapt.a John Baptist / Gio. Battista
Josephus Joseph. Joseph / Giuseppe
Mattheus Math.s Matthew / Matteo
Michael Mich.is Michael / Michele
Nicolaus Nic.s Nicholas / Nicola, Nicolò
Paulus Pa.lus Paul / Paolo
Petrus P.s / Pet.s Peter / Pietro
Paschalis Pasch.is Pascal, Patrick / Pasquale
Salvator Salv.r Sam, Savior / Salvatore
Vincentius Vinc.s Vincent / Vincenzo

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Latin Names: Female

Latin Latin Abbrev. English / Italian Examples
Aloysia Aloy.a Louise / Luigia
Angela Ang.a Angel / Angela
Anna Anna Ann / Anna
Antonia Ant.a Antonia / Antonia
Catharina Cath.a / Cat.na Catherine / Caterina
Dominica Dom.ca Dominique / Domenica
Philomena Phil.a Philomene / Filomena
Francisca Fran.ca Frances / Francesca
Joanna Jo.na Joanne / Giovanna
Josepha J.pha Josephine / Giuseppa
Magdalena Mag.da Madeleine / Maddalena
Maria M.a Mary / Maria
Rosalia Ros.ia Roseline / Rosalia
Vincentia Vinc.a Vincenza / Vincenza

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